Time of Dying
by A Beautiful Oblivion
Summary: Songfic to Three Day's Grace's Time of Dying. One-shot, takes place during Eclipse. Squirrelflight struggles to stay alive, keeping dark enemies out of her mind. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.


**Songfic in Squirrelflight's POV about the battle with WindClan, when she receives the bad belly wound. Spoilers from Eclipse and Long Shadows.**

**Some of the facts in this story aren't going to be right; I'm doing this by memory, and I haven't read Eclipse in a while.**

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_WindClan. _Squirrelflight hissed at the cats in front of her, hating them. They deserved to have to fight against two Clans.

She sprang on one of them, recognizing Nightcloud.

The two she-cats fought for what felt like seasons, until Squirrelflight pinned Nightcloud under her. The black cat struggled; Squirrelflight stepped back to let her go.

But Nightcloud had other plans. She leaped back on Squirrelflight, this time pinning her opponent down. Raising a paw, she sliced Squirrelflight down her belly.

Squirrelflight yowled in pain, blood oozing from her gash. Nightcloud, knowing she'd won, leaped off Squirrelflight and went off in search of more ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats.

Squirrelflight heaved herself to her paws, swaying. She stumbled off in the direction of camp, her head swimming.

She heard Hollypaw fretting about her from outside the thorn tunnel.

"Have you seen Squirrelflight?" the apprentice was asking.

Squirrelflight staggered into camp. Hollypaw spotted her and immediately ran over.

"Squirrelflight! Are you okay? Have you seen Leafpool yet?" she asked, concerned, until she looked down and saw the pool of blood on the ground, seeping from her mother's wound.

Squirrelflight collapsed, her strength gone. Her legs crumbled underneath her, and she was unconcious before she hit the ground.

_On the ground I lay_  
_Motionless, in pain_  
_I can see my life flashing before my eyes_

Memories flicked through her mind:

_Leaving for the sun-drown-place. _

_Speaking with Midnight. _

_Feathertail killing Sharptooth, and sacrificing herself in the process._

_Rescuing her sister from the Twolegs. _

_The Great Journey, and arriving at their new home. _

_Receiving her warrior name, the first in the new territory. _

_The phase in her life when she thought she had loved Ashfur. _

_Leafpool running off with Crowfeather. _

_Badgers attacking, Cinderpelt and Sootfur dying. _

_Her sister begging for help with her kits. _

_Taking in Jaypaw, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw. _

_Traveling to the mountains and helping the Tribe of Rushing Water._

Squirrelflight was standing in ThunderClan camp again, but it was empty and quiet.

_Did I fall asleep?_  
_Is this all a dream?_

"Hello."

Squirrelflight whipped around, relieved when her belly didn't hurt, and saw a familiar tortiseshell cat.

"Spottedleaf?" she gasped. "Why are you here? Am I..." she trailed off, fearing the worst.

The medicine cat shook her head. "No. At least... not yet." Her voice changed, became menacing and evil.

"Spottedleaf...?" Squirrelflight repeated, confused. "What's wrong with your-" She broke off, terrified, as the beautiful tortiseshell she saw in front of her changed. Her fur molted off, to reveal a dark tabby pelt. Her loving face melted away, to be replaced with a murderer's. Last of all, her kind amber eyes shimmered and became hating yellow ones.

As the cat changed, the clearing changed, too. The stone hollow fell away, and in its place, dark trees appeared. There was no sun, no moon, no stars.

Squirrelflight's eyes widened with terror as the cat raised its head, revealing Tigerstar. She gasped and backed away, one pace at a time, ears flat.

Tigerstar sneered. "You can't get away from me that easily," he snarled, bounding forward a few paces until he was almost nose-to-nose with her. Squirrelflight's paws were stuck to the ground. She couldn't run; her legs refused to work.

"You are going to die!" the dark warrior hissed, unsheathing his claws. Never before had Squirrelflight seen anything more terrifying.

_Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare_

Her legs decided to work again, and, whirling around, she raced through the forest, away from Tigerstar. But his words echoed in her head, following her.

"You are going to die! Die..."

_I will not die_  
_I will survive_

She pelted on, past tree after tree, until she heard a voice, drawing her from her dream.

"Squirrelflight! Please wake up!" She opened her eyes to Brambleclaw.

Her mate gasped in relief. To Squirrelflight, he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_  
_I feel alive when you're beside me_  
_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_  
_In my time of dying_

She tried to move a leg, but winced as pain shot through her. The ground under her was soft. _What's with that?_ she wondered.

More pain flashed through her body. In her mind, she was fighting Tigerstar. He kept trying to get inside her head, telling her she was dying.

_On this bed I lay, losing everything_  
_I can see my life passing me by_

There was still so much she wanted to do. Have real kits with Brambleclaw, for one.

But that wasn't going to happen. She was losing the fight with Tigerstar, and now he was whispering in her ear, telling her things she didn't want to hear.

_Was it all too much_  
_Or not enough_  
_Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare_

She pushed Tigerstar away, forcing herself to focus on Brambleclaw instead. He was still beside her, and she knew that if he left, she wouldn't be able to keep his father away.

_I will not die_  
_I will survive_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_  
_I feel alive when you're beside me_  
_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_  
_In my time of dying_

Her eyes closed again, and she slept, this time dreaming of herself and Brambleclaw. They had two kits - real ones this time. One tom, his fur the colour of Brambleclaw's, and one female, her pure white fur shining in Squirrelflight's mind like the sun.

Their names were Thornkit and Snowkit. She built a fantasy in her mind, watching the two of them become apprentices, then warriors, with their new names: Thornwing and Snowstorm.

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_  
_I feel alive when you're beside me_  
_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_  
_In my time of dying_

Squirrelflight slept on peacefully, not feeling any pain, wrapped in her dreams, with her kits and mate.

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_  
_I will not die when you're beside me_

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**That might be lame, but I snuck a couple of my OCs in there :3**


End file.
